Because
by newyork13
Summary: L.J. Gibbs has been working for NCIS for 23 years and each day there have been two people he had always done the job for - Shannon and Kelly. They were killed in car accident while he was surviving as a US Marine Gunnery Sargent in Kuwait. So when a US Navy Seal turns up asking him to find his wife, Gibbs live will change forever. Set in 2014, with Ziva's replacement Eliza Bishop.
1. Chapter 1

"Daddy?" A young girl's voice screamed through the quiet house, she'd been woken by a nightmare. There were soon

two pairs of hastened footsteps that could be heard running through the house. Her thirteen year old brother and her Dad. Her bedroom door opened hastily and her Dad and brother appeared in the room as they flicked the bedroom light on the young girl calmed instantly and all memories of the nightmare were distant ones or no longer existed.  
"You okay Halley?" Her Dad asked sitting down on her bed and taking her hand, her brother Jason picked her teddy up from where it had landed on the floor after being thrown from the bed during her nightmare and passed it back to her. She took it and hugged it close, pulling her hand away from her Dad.  
"I'm okay Daddy" she said tiredly  
"You sure, you want anything?" He replied.  
"A hot chocolate, like mom makes" she replied as tears brimmed her bright blue eyes.  
"You know what Halley, Dad let's make popcorn and watch movies like we do when mom is here" Jason suggested.  
"Jason it's the middle of the night" his dad scowled.  
"Dad it's the summer holidays" Jason replied.  
"Yes it is, but we're supposed to be going to D.C in a few hours, you both need sleep. I'll get your hot chocolate sweetie, Jason back to bed" Chief Petty Officer Xavier Melrose replied to his son.  
Jason didn't say anything just gave his sister a hug and headed off to bed. Xavier shook his head and hoped that six year old Halley was nothing like Jason when she became a teenager, but if she was anything like her mother she would be. Her mother was a Marine Gunnery Sargent who had been stationed in Afghanistan for the last eight months, she was due fly into D.C within the next two weeks. Xavier was flying Halley and Jason there from Hawaii to surprise them and her.

Xavier padded down the stairs of their home on the Pearl Harbour Naval Base it was hot and sticky right through the house and though he wasn't keen to make Halley a hot chocolate in the weather, it didn't matter the weather it was the only thing that calmed Halley after she had a nightmare. Xavier was heading back up the stairs with Halley's hot chocolate when there was a knock at the door.  
"Jason!" Xavier called out and Jason sulked into vision a few seconds later still sulking about not being allowed to stay up and watch movies.  
"What?" Jason asked.  
"Take this to your sister please" Xavier replied. Jason came down the stairs and took the hot chocolate from his Dad and headed back up the stairs when there was another knock at the door.  
"Dad everything okay?" Jason asked concern written all over his face.  
"Halley, hot chocolate, now" Xavier replied already going back down the stairs to the front door. Xavier knew there were only three people who would call at this hour of the night and he always wished that they'd never have a reason to come. Xavier took a deep breath as he opened the door, fearing the worst and he was right to fear. When he opened the door he came face to face with two uniformed Marines and other person, a woman in her mid-twenties to early-thirties.  
"Petty Officer Xavier Melrose. I'm NCIS Special-Agent Kensi Blye, your wife Gunnery Sargent Kelly Melrose has been reported missing by her unit. I am here tonight with Staff Sargent Addams and Captain Hardgrave to escort you and your children to NCIS LA" Special Agent Blye said to him.  
"You're going to take us to the navy yard in D.C, your head quarters."


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

"Okay Squad room!" Special Agent Tony DiNozzo announced getting up on his desk.

The whole squad room looked over at Tony who was standing on his desk, "Who left the womens under wear on my desk, because I am eternally grateful so whoever did it I would love to thank!"

Special Agent Timothy McGee looked over at him and tried to keep from laughing.

"He's behind me isn't he? Sorry Boss" Tony said to his Boss Special Agent Leroy-Jethro Gibbs.

"Get down from there DiNozzo."

"Yes Boss"

Tony got down and braced himself for a slap on the back of the head, but Gibbs walked past and didn't give him one.

"You okay boss?"

"Fine DiNozzo, get back on with your work. I still need that case report; I want it on my desk by the end of the day."

"Unless we catch a case Boss?"

"Even if we catch a case DiNozzo."

Before Tony could think of a witty remark the phone on his desk rang.

"Hello Very Special Agent DiNozzo's desk, how may I help you?" DiNozzo listened to what the person had to say, "What?" DiNozzo paused as he listened, "Right, I'll tell Gibbs. Thank you."

"What's going on?" Eliza Bishop asked looking up from the pamphlet she was reading on forensics.

"Not sure, does anyone know who Special Agents Blye and Callan are? Because they've just arrived in the building."

Gibbs jumped up from his desk and so did McGee.

"McGee, go down to reception and escort them up. Bishop, I want you to go down to autopsy and see if Ducky has started that autopsy on the Marine that came from Afganistan. DiNozzo labs help Abby go through the Marine's belongings" Gibbs directed his team.

They all jumped up and headed in their allotted directions.

"McGee" Gibbs called as McGee approached the lifts.

"Yes Boss?" McGee answered.

"Bring them up to MTAC; if they've brought anyone else with them put them in the Conference room. If there are Children find Dorneget and ask him to take them on a tour, but not the labs, autopsy or MTAC. You got that McGee?"

"Yes Boss" McGee replied as he slid into the lift in the last few seconds before the doors closed on him.

The lift doors opened and McGee steeped out into Reception and looked around till he saw Kensi and Callan.

"Special Agents Blye, Callan. Welcome back to the Navy Yard" McGee smiled.

"Feel's good to be back Tim, where's Gibbs?" Callan asked directly.

"He's expecting you and Kensi up in MTAC."

"We don't need special passes to get in there right?" Kensi asked.

"Retinal scanners all Special Agents have access" McGee assured her.

"So what's going on?" McGee asked.

"That sailor over there with the two children" Kensi indicated the man signing in as a visitor, "He's Petty Officer Xavier Melrose, assigned to the USS Rover as part of a SEAL Team 6. The Rover is currently deployed in the Gulf of Iraq; the Petty Officer had been stationed at Pearl Harbour his entire career and is currently a trainings officer on the base. His wife is Marine Gunnery Sargent Kelly Melrose, currently MIA in Afganistan. We were going to take him to NCIS LA, but he wanted to come here."

"Okay, you and Callan head up to MTAC. I'll look after the Petty Officer and his children."

"You sure McGee?" Callan asked.

"I'm sure.


	3. Chapter 3

"Get Captain Jacob's, CO General Walden up on the dooberwatsit," Gibbs asked the MTAC operator.

The MTAC operator, who had a profound dislike of Gibbs, opened the feed on the MTAC screen to Camp Rhino and General Caleb Walden face flashed onto the screen.

"General Walden, nice to see you again."

"You as well Agent Gibbs, how's everything State side?"

Gibbs laughed, "It'd be better if Captain Jacob's wasn't dead."

Walden shrugged, "And it'd be better here if Gunnery Sargent Melrose hadn't gone missing in the fire fight."

"I wasn't aware a Gunnie was missing?"

"I think there has been a lapse in communications," Walden answered apprehensively.

"I agree!" Spinning around Gibbs saw Callan and Kensi entering MTAC. "Agent Callan are you aware that Gunnery Sargent Melrose is MIA?"

Callan nodded, "Jethro, General Walden."

"You know Walden?" Gibbs asked.

"Long story. This isn't the time though. We received word yesterday that Gunnery Sargent Kelly Melrose went missing in Registan Desert at 19:43 hours L.A time on Tuesday. We acted promptly and Agent Blye headed to Pearl Harbour and informed Gunnery Sargent Melrose's family. She was going to take them to NCIS LA, but Melrose's Husband instructed her to bring him and his children to the NAVY Yard so here we are."

"A female Gunny?" Gibbs asked.

Walden smiled, "Yes Gibbs. She fought bloody hard for that position to, we're very proud to serve along side her."

Gibbs chuckled before getting back on topic"General have you had any communication problems before this call?" Gibbs asking looking back to the General.

"Actually we have, our communications officer was Captain Jacobs."

Kensi confused asked, "If he was a communications officer what was he doing in the fire fight?"

"That is the problem, Camp Rhino was attacked. Jacobs was the only officer in the communications department at the time, I know that is not regulations, we've been waiting for new communication officers to ship in. So we've only five officers on base and they rotate through the night," General Walden explained.

"Right," Kensi said awkwardly. "That doesn't explain the fire fight though."

"Gunnery Sargent Melrose's platoon responded and headed out to attack the Al-Qaeda operatives that were surrounding Camp Rhino. The fire fight ensued and Melrose was taken hostage. She'll remain MIA till she's either found alive or found dead. Gibbs I'm shipping home in two weeks, I'm not coming home without her."

"I know Walden. You never leave a Marine behind."

"Semper Fi, Gibbs."

"Oorah, Walden."

The feed cut leaving Gibbs, Callan and Kensi in the darkened multiple threat assessment centre.

"Who told you that Melrose was MIA?"

"Anonymous source," Kensi replied.

Callan looked over at Gibbs who had the same look in his eye, which he had had during an operation they walked in Moscow.

"You don't think Al-Qaeda are behind this do you Jethro?" Callan asked.

"No, I don't," and after an afterthought Gibbs added. "I want to talk to Melrose's husband and his children."

"Are you sure Jethro?" Callan asked.

"Of course I'm sure. It's not like we're back in Moscow," Gibbs voice floated back to Callan and Kensi as he left MTAC.

"What about Moscow?" Kensi asked.

"You do not want to know."

* * *

_**A/N - I know it's taken me so long to update, I just needed something to spark my interest in this story again. I got my spark today watching NCIS Season 5. Review please lovlies.**_

_**K. x**_


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